Waking the Dark Queen
by FrozenandYetNot
Summary: Post 5.19-B promised C that she would stand by him through anything but would she allowed to make good on her promise? Blairena/Chair
1. Prologue

**I have been trying to write something for season 5 for a long time but Blair messed me up. She seems to be so unlike the Blair I knew that it is difficult to get into her head. However, after the last episode, I have had enough. I need my Blair back and if the writers won't give me back my Blair, I will get her back myself. Lol... that is how this fic came by.. I had sworn off angst after BCE, but this was needed for my own sanity. If BCE was my Chuck redemption story, this is my Blair redemption story. Girl needs to know what she is doing. Enough of my rant- let me know if you want me to continue it. If there is enough interest I will write this, otherwise I will just go back to writing and hiding behind my AU-The Reluctant Lady Bass.**

**Main Characters: Chuck, Blair, Serena, Nate, Dan, Jenny et al**

**Genre: Romance and Angst**

**Timeline: Post 5.19**

**Author: FrozenandYetNot**

…

_You were the best  
But you've chose to throw your life away  
In the hands of nothingness  
You're a bad boy,  
Everyone knows it.  
The dust is nice,  
But it makes things worst  
But it makes things worst. _

_-The Dark Queen,Andrasta_

Blair lay awake, her eyes stuck on the slightly cracked cream ceiling. Bundled neatly beside the bed was the pink dress and atop it lay the tiara which Dan had placed on her head, proclaiming her to be a princess in his eyes. It had been fairytale moment – and a few hours after the grand proclamation, Blair found her eyes devoid of sleep. There was an underlying restlessness which her calm exterior was hiding. She had managed to hide the nagging thoughts throughout the day, being the perfect girlfriend and neither Dan nor Rufus knew better. And while they didn't know, it was easier to pretend that it wasn't there.

However, in the darkness with her boyfriend sleeping beside her, it was staring back at her face. She closed her eyes yet again, desperately aching for sleep to no avail. Sleep eluded her and the thoughts chased her. She swung her legs, the cotton sheets grazing her thighs harshly. A small part of cringed at the idea of lying at white cotton sheets purchased from Wal-Mart. But she quelled that part of her. She had left that side of her and become a better person, she told herself.

Tying her wayward curls, she walked out to the kitchen. It was dimly lit and she stood at the threshold of the kitchen, staring at nothing. The thoughts she had been trying to chase away all day swept in, claiming her mind once and for all.

He was looking for his mother. He was looking for Elizabeth Fisher. He was looking for the woman who had caused them to destruct.

Memories flooded in. The last time he encountered the woman, she had lost her Chuck. He had become obsessed with finding the woman. His mother who he thought he had killed all his life. She had seen the desperation in him to believe otherwise, to believe that he had a mother. She had seen his desperation and felt his pain. She had encouraged him to open up to that con artist, to accept Elizabeth wholeheartedly, to offer his heart on a platter to his mother. The bitch had destroyed it the moment she had a chance- destroyed it, him and them.

Chuck was lost and in some ways it was her fault.

She swallowed hard against the lump which was obstructing her breathing. He could not find her again. She wasn't even sure whether he really meant to find her. After all she was sure that he had only used it as an excuse to weasel back into her life and cause complications with Humphrey. That was classic Chuck, wasn't it? He always ruined her relationships so that he would run back into his arms.

_I just want you to be free. Whoever you chose to love when you are free is up to you._

He had paid her dowry and not told anyone. He had given her freedom when she had spurned him. Did it mean that he did not want her and was doing a good deed?

Curiously the thought brought no relief. Instead, her heart thumped in protest. He had to want her, didn't he? He always wanted her. He could not just stop wanting her.

_I will always love you_

That was the definition of always, wasn't it?

_Love just doesn't disappear_

He had said the words, hadn't he? He must have meant them. Love wouldn't have disappeared.

But it had, hadn't it?

_I will always love you but I 'm not in love with you._

"Blair..." Dan said sleepily.

She started from her reverie and gasped. She felt wetness on her cheeks and realized that she was crying. She quickly wiped her face.

"Blair, what're you doing up?"

"I was thirsty" she said almost haughtily

Dan quirked his eyebrow at her...

"That is the third time you woke up for a drink."

She rolled her eyes.

"I suppose I can't get enough of the Brooklyn tap water, Humphrey" she snapped at him.

There was a profound silence. Dan, on the other hand, flinched inwardly at her tone. It was a tone he knew well. It was what he had heard throughout high school from the Queen B. This wasn't his Blair.

Blair stared at him as he opened and closed his mouth several times. He didn't know how to deal with her when she was like this. His Blair was vulnerable, witty but always welcoming his support. This time she was staring at him with an edge in her eyes. He was wary of approaching her. She didn't seem to want his support and he was at a loss to how to make her want it.

"I don't understand Blair."

She melted under his eyes and he inwardly sighed with relief.

"I 'm sorry, Dan... I 'm just …" she trailed off looking lost.

This comforted Dan. He knew this Blair. He jumped in and turned her around.

"Is this still about not being a princess?" he asked gently "Blair, with or without a tiara you would always be my princess"

Blair stared at her and nodded.

It was so easy to be Dan Humphrey. It was so easy because he didn't understand the constant need to succeed that was ingrained in UES children from playschool. The idea of succeeding, of achieving, of being someone worthy of respect and admiration that was hammered into their heads…He didn't understand the need she felt to be someone. He didn't understand that she wanted to be a princess was not to fulfill a fairytale but to grasp onto the power of being one. It was the idea of being powerful and called upon with respect at UES. He didn't understand that what it meant to her. He didn't understand that Blair wasn't that simple a girl who could be at peace with whatever happiness life granted her. That she always wanted more- that she was greedy and ambitious for any morsel of power that she could grab. He didn't understand that she was dark princess seeking to be one who danced with rainbows and sunshine.

He didn't understand that no matter how much she craved to be a princess, she would always be a Queen first.

For him it was simple. Happiness was just the absence of sorrow. Love was just the idea of being with the one whom he loved. He was, by default, a pauper who was destined to be prince charming.

For her it was always more complicated... She wasn't Cinderella fighting through hurdles created by her ugly step sisters. She was both Cinderella and the step sisters. It was too way complicated.

But she had enough of complications. Now she wanted it to be simple.

She smiled at Dan as he poured her a glass of water.

_Simple..._

…_._

_It's a jump in the unknown,  
There's no return, no hope  
No motivation, no goal,  
oblivion's waiting for you.  
You're alone, and you'll go alone  
You're alone, and you'll go alone._

-_The Dark Queen,Andrasta_

Chuck stared at the empty scotch tumbler and groaned. If some writer, with more intellect and observation that Hum-drum Humphrey ever wrote about him, he knew picking up a smell for his character would be easy.

Scotch...

His poison, his salvation, his refuge against the world...

And if that writer, in his crazy intellectual way ever contemplated, a color to define Chuck Bass, he would undoubtedly pick black. He was the dark knight of the UES after all. His den was in recesses of darkness half the time. He mind was black. He was the King of darkness. And just black swallows up any color mixed with it, to change its nuance. He destroys anyone who dares to step into world, to try and change him.

There had been only one person in this world that was brave enough to love him enough to want him to change. Only one person who cared enough to try and make him break through the dark glinted cages he had put his compassion in. His father had not given a damn, only expecting the worse from his son. His mother had abandoned him after his birth. But she had never given up on him.

Not his darkest thought, not his worst deed could keep her away for him. She pursued him, held his hand and dragged him out to embrace the man he could be.

_You carry people, you carry me. You're becoming the man your father never was._

In her arms, he had found solace. In her eyes, he had found the trust and in her words the strength to be a man someone could love. That she could love.

But she didn't.

_I will always love you but I 'm not in love with you_

Chuck clutched the glass, hardly noticing when it splintered in his hand. The words echoed in his mind, destroying him inch by inch. It had taken losing her to find himself, but just as he found himself, he had lost her.

She was gone and now he didn't even have her friendship.

_You bought me just like you sold me for a hotel. You paid my dowry and then came to collect_

Chuck gritted his teeth. He didn't know what hurt more. That he deserved the words, or that he didn't. He knew that Blair might never forgive him for the Empire fiasco. And somehow he could never fault her if she never did. Yet for years now he was only trying to make her happy.

And every time she doubted his intention, refusing to believe that he had changed. She had gone to extreme lengths to prove to herself that he was still a self-serving Basstard and he had left her believe. She had thrown back his apology to his face.

He knew that there was some sense in her distrust but that didn't make it hurt less. It didn't make him want to crush the world any less. But what hurt the most is the one person who believed in his ability to be a better man just didn't anymore.

He didn't know where that left him. If Blair didn't see through him to see his soul, then who will? If she couldn't believe in him, then how could he believe in himself? If she couldn't forgive his past actions, then how could he forgive himself? She had always been his better half- the one part of him that was good and if she refused to see the goodness, then where did it leave him?

His phone buzzed and he clicked it on.

_Thank you for setting me free_

He was glad of her freedom, now only if he could find some for himself. He needed to be free of the shadow of Blair's love; he needed to really move on for she had. He knew he would never love anyone as he loved her, not even himself but he needed to love himself just a little.

And to do that, he needed answers. He called Andrew Tyler.

"Where did you say Elizabeth was?"

"Milan"

"Text her address and arrange for the Bass jet to fly in a couple of hours."

The phone disconnected and he sauntered back to his room. He peeled off his purple robe and stepped in the shower. From the misted panes of the glass he could see the glimpse of purple on the floor and he chuckled inwardly. The writer would be so dead wrong.

Chuck Bass wasn't black, he was purple.

Purple- the perfect combination of red's need to conquer and blue's need to surrender. And it had been in this ongoing tug of war between blue and red, the latter had always won. Maybe it was time for that to change.

Maybe it was time for Chuck to surrender.


	2. Chapter 2

_Can we ever get rid of the whats and the ifs  
That doubts that exist in our minds  
In the silence I am tricked into thinking you'll forget  
And I'll be stranded like a man in a mine_

Blair twisted the hem of her pleated Marc Jacobs skirt, feeling oddly nervous as she saw the numbers flashing on the elevator screen. She was alone and stared religiously at her reflection as the elevator rode up. Her curly hair was brushed down and her make-up was impeccably applied and for once there were no shadows under her eyes. As her scrutiny brought forth no imperfections, she straightened up as the elevator stopped with a ding. The doors opened and she walked into the Empire penthouse with a deep breath.

Every since the day Chuck had come to her for advice on finding Elizabeth, Blair had felt nothing but ice cold dread. Her nagging anxiety had to be put to rest and she decided to tackle the problem once and for all. She had an excuse after all; he had paid her dowry and she had been a bitch to him. He needed to be thanked properly and while doing that she would tell him to let the ashes lie. The plan was simple and effective; and yet she felt oddly nervous. It was hard to talk to Chuck, or even to see him. All her feelings rushed back to overwhelm her and she felt all tangled up when he was observing her with familiar hazel eyes. It was all consuming and she didn't want to be consumed right now. Hence, her defense mechanism kicked in and she was either religiously avoiding him or being a total bitch to his face. But now she needed to be his friend.

She took another deep breath, pasted a smile on her face and called out: "Hello, anyone here?"

A lock clicked and Nate walked out, with a typical confused expression on his face:

"Blair?"

"Oh thank God and here I was thinking the penthouse is deserted." She eyed his ruffled morning hair and the slightest hint of dark circles and commented "Rough night, Archibald?"

"Uh- no…Lola spent the night and I…"

"Oh ..." Blair scrunched her face "Haven't you had your share of Serena doppelgangers to last a lifetime?"

Nate rolled his eyes "Dan isn't here, Blair."

Blair shifted nervously "I 'm here to see Chuck actually..."

Nate straightened up and his friendly demeanor vanished immediately.

"Why?" he demanded suspiciously

"I need to talk to him" she began slowly

"Don't ..." he interrupted rather roughly, his blue eyes uncharacteristically strict.

Blair stared at him in confusion

"Don't, what?"

He sighed "Look the last year has been hard on Chuck. But he got through and right now he is in a good place, no thanks to you. Don't mess it up for him."

Blair glared at him.

"How dare you just presume that I 'm here to mess things up for him?" She was furious at his audacity. He didn't need to protect Chuck from her; she was the one who protected him always.

Nate shrugged: "Going by past records, it's a fair presumption. First you draw him in saying that you love him and then you leave him for whoever catches your fancy and then when he finally drags himself out of the miserable hole that your rejection buried him in, you come back. And then the cycle begins again."

Blair had to restrain herself from slapping him "Going by past records I have always been a better friend to him than you have. I have always stood by him- and the rest of you as well"

Nate sighed loudly "No one is denying that, Blair. But we all have stood by you too. When you wanted to marry Louis, we were all there for you. When you wanted to leave your fiancé and run away with Chuck, I personally escorted you two out. And after that-the accident and the wedding and the dowry – we would have been there for you then, if you had let us…"

Blair froze as he recapped the last year to her. It was as though she was reliving it again. Her fairytale of an engagement which never really made her happy, her constant doubts and then the accident... She closed her eyes- Chuck dying- and her ba-

_Don't think about. Don't think..._

_If you don't think about it, it isn't true…_

Her eyes snapped open and she put on her bitchiest tone "So, what now you need a thank you note from me? Or some kind of a favor – as long as it's not sexual, Archibald. But you wouldn't be interested as I 'm not old enough to be your mother"

"God, no…" He said shaking his head "Blair, I love you. Always have, always will..." Blair felt tears forming at the corner of her eyes as he smiled her favorite Natie- smile. Shaking his eyes, he continued "But Chuck's my best friend, Blair and I can't see him suffer again. So if you 're here to shout at him for paying your dowry to get into your pants, then I would have to stop you..."

Blair looked down. "I 'm not here to yell..."

Nate groaned loudly "Please don't tell me you are sporadically in love with him again."

She glared at him and he shrugged back. "Could you just stop being his knight in shining armor and just tell me where he is?"

Nate seemed to be struggling inwardly. Blair sighed and sat down.

"Well... I 'm just going to wait here until he shows up..."

Nate sighed wearily "He isn't here, Blair. He left last night to find her."

"What?" Blair felt the world spinning. "Who is this "her"?"

Nate looked oddly guilty "I shouldn't have said that. Listen could you just forget..."

"Please tell me he didn't go to find Elizabeth." She took one look at his face and almost screamed in frustration."Why the hell didn't you stop him? Do you even remember what she did to him the last night he let her in?"

"Come on, Blair... You know, Chuck, he does what he wants to." Nate said slowly "And I don't even know what is wrong in seeking his mother out"

"She is the woman who conned him out of his hotel…"

"And if Chuck can forgive her for it, then it's none of my business. Or yours. So keep your nose out of it." He said seriously "I've to get ready for office and I 'm sure you have something to do.:

Blair glared at him. She wasn't going to waste time arguing logic with Nate Archibald of all people. She held her head high as she stalked out of the penthouse.

...

Chuck stepped out of his limo, glancing at the neatly arranged lane. Situated in south-east Milan, Vaile Umbria was a pretty residential area. He stared at the mahogany door with a brass knob before knocking politely. The door opened immediately.

Elizabeth looked just the same, though her hair was slightly longer and framed her high cheekbones. She looked shocked to see him.

"Ch-Charles?"

Chuck swallowed and nodded at her. "Elizabeth, may I come in?" He didn't give her a chance to reply and stepped inside. A small hallway led to a comfortable living room. He sat down, staring at the lines of photo frames on the side table.

"This is a most unexpected visit." She said after she followed him in "Honestly I never expected to see you again."

Chuck smiled smoothly.

"I never intended to pay it." He looked around at the photos arranged neatly and asked slowly "Your family?"

"Uh- yes" she said nervously

His eyes took in the range of people in there. A couple of black and white pictures with a man, his wife and two daughters, a few portrait shots of Elizabeth and some scattered group pictures. He felt a pang of loneliness and suppressed it. "They look lovely"

Elizabeth nodded and then, as though weary of the social niceties, she blurted out quickly "If this is about your hotel, I told you that I just wanted to help Jack and then- then ..."

He nodded, acknowledging her words. "You were in love with him"

"I tried to stop him- I did- I gave him a choice but he didn't – he "she looked away

Chuck reached out and placed his hand comfortingly against hers. "I know. This isn't about what happened a few years ago. I have a question for you and I want you to answer honestly. "

She nodded, her hazel eyes so like his own, widening in confusion.

"Elizabeth, are you my mother?"

She stared at him, weighing her answer. "I 'm surprised that you're asking me. Don't you have a PI to dig in my past?"

Chuck shook his head with a wry smirk "I want to hear it from you. And I want the truth because you owe it to me."

Her eyes were kind as she slowly shook her head. "No, Charles. I 'm not your mother... I do bear a great resemblance to your mother or so Jack used to say. I was an actress and I got involved with Jack several years ago. I fell in love with him and when he proposed to con you, I accepted."

Chuck stood up "Thank you. I –I must go, I 'm sorry for the unexpected visit."

Elizabeth stood up as well, smiling kindly "You're a special person, Charles. You deserve to be happy and I 'm sure your real mother, wherever she is, only wants you to be happy. So stop chasing shadows and live your life."

He smiled. "I appreciate that." He walked to the door and Elizabeth opened it.

"Its was good to see you again"

He nodded "Yes, it was. Have a good life, Elizabeth."

"You too. Say hello to Blair from me."

He managed to smile politely and stepped in his limo. As it sped away, he wondered how he could stop chasing shadows when they never stopped chasing him.

…...

_Like a city besieged, it was the loneliest thing  
Your silence held in cold delay  
And I felt faint of heart cause I was caught between  
The weight of everything I couldn't say_

_The day between the soil and the sky_  
_An emptiness, a void, a heaviness, a sigh,_  
_But I know you will make through alive_  
_Cause you never said goodbye_

Blair threw her bag down on the couch as soon as she entered her penthouse. Dorota came scurrying by before she shooed the Polish maid away. She didn't have the energy to deal with anything right now. She had spent the day trying to find where on earth the mother-chucker had flown to last night. His phone was unreachable and Nate refused to help. She had called her PI but the incompetent plan had said that private plane records were- well –private and it could take some time. In desperation she had called Lily, but she had been oddly distant and unhelpful.

With another disgruntled sigh, she threw herself down on the couch and fished her cell phone. She switched it on and clucked when she saw there were sixteen messages from Dan. He was going to be prissy.

Ignoring the messages, she called her boyfriend.

"Where have you been?"

"Hello to you too, Humphrey" she said with false cheer

She heard him sigh "I called you another ten times"

"I know...I was busy with some things" she said slowly, wondering how to explain to him why she hadn't called

"Is everything alright?" he quickly piped in, his knight in shining armor persona overwhelming his anger

"Oh yes... nothing to worry about. Just some girl stuff...So what have you been up to?" she asked quickly

He laughed "You wouldn't believe what happened today. I got a fantastic idea for our coming out party- something that merges both our worlds...I was thinking we should host a salon."

"A salon? Really, Humphrey, can we get more pretentious than that?" she snapped at him.

"Oh come on, it's us. It so very us- We could hold it at my loft, with UES catering…" He continued detailing every aspect of the salon. Blair gave her input and he accepted most of her ideas. One of the best things about Dan was that he never challenged her, he always let her be.

"You know, on second thoughts, the salon is perfect personification of us" Blair said slowly.

He laughed again. "So what're your plans for the rest of the day? There is a viewing of the French..."

"I 'm actually spending the day with Serena" she interrupted him quickly. She was in no mental state to meet him and spent the day with him. Besides she needed to find out Chuck's location before that bitch got to him.

"You're what?"

"Spending the day with my best friend, Dan... Why do you sound so surprised?" she snapped loudly

There was a beat of silence. "Well, you don't exactly do that anymore."

The sentence resounded in her head twice before she comprehended it. She recovered quickly and said determinedly "Well, I 'm today." She hung up before she snapped at him again. What did he mean she never spent time with Serena nowadays? She swung her feet down and slowly climbed to her best friend's room.

She knocked and called brightly "Hey S!"

Serena turned around with a folded skirt in her hand "Oh hi Blair..."

Blair felt her smile falter as she looked into the room. A large Louis Vuitton suitcase stood open with various folded items in it. She looked back at her best friend in shock.

"Are you going somewhere?"

Serena nodded distantly "Mom and Rufus're having a fight and he decided to stay back at the loft. She is back at the penthouse and all alone, so I thought I would go spend some time with her. With all the mess with Ivy and grandma's death, she really shouldn't deal with this all alone"

"Oh... of course. It must be hard on her. So how long 're you planning to stay there?" Blair asked casually, watching as her best friend put dress after dress in the bag.

"I haven't really decided yet. Let's see…"

Blair nodded and an awkward silence filled the room. Suffocating against the awkwardness of the silence, she blurted out.

"I spoke to your mom earlier. She did sound upset. You should go be with her."

Serena's eyebrows furrowed

"Why did you to speak to mom?"

Blair sat up straighter, glad that there was a topic she could talk to Serena about without feeling awkward.

"Well- apparently Chuck has this crazy idea that he wants to find Elizabeth..."

"Oh yes... I know." Serena said

"What do you mean you know?" Blair asked aghast

Serena shrugged "We talked about it the other day when he came here to talk to you but you weren't interested. I told him to go for it"

"Go for it?" Blair cried loudly "I don't understand. Has everyone developed amnesia or was the Empire incident my hallucination?"

Serena blinked "No one said she is the mother of the year, Blair. But if Chuck wants to finds his mother, it's his business. Not ours. Especially not yours..."

Blair stood up, glaring at him. "Oh please not you too..."

"Not me too, what?" Serena asked coolly

"Don't go on framing me as the icy bitch that played with his emotions. I 'm not the guilty one here. I didn't plan on falling for Dan"

Serena froze and then smiled sweetly "All I m saying is that with all your history, its best that you stay away from him."

"Really, so now _you_'re protecting him from me?" she said with a hysterical note in her voice.

"Chuck is my brother, Blair" Serena said firmly

"And I'm your best friend. S. Bros before hoes, chicks before dicks- You know how it works. Your loyalty should be to me. Between a guy and your best friend you always chose your BFF..." Blair snapped her mouth shut quickly as Serena shot her a triumphant look.

Blair looked away quickly, her eyes watering. She half-expected Serena to lash out. Instead the blonde slowly folded a sequined top and placed in her bag. There was complete silence as the two sisters. Blair felt an impending sense of doom as she stared at Serena. Serena- her best friend, her sister, her bane of contention and yet her soul mate...

"You aren't coming back, are you?"

Serena sighed "I don't know. I really don't."

Blair scooted closer slowly "Is this because of Dan? Because you said you 're ok with it..."

Serena gave her a wry look "I said I will try and no- it's not because of Dan. Everything has changed. We have changed- it's just not the same anymore. Blair" she sounded defeated

Blair shook her head. "What're you saying? Look, Serena if you 're angry you should have said something about it."

Serena chuckled dryly. "All through these years, whenever I have felt that you're wronging me, I have spoken up and so have you. But this time- we didn't- because unlike those times we don't have that right over each other. We knew that we weren't best friends anymore."

Blair swallowed a lump and snapped harshly "That is ridiculous. Of course we're best friends. You are my sister, S. We live in the same apartment. We share a fucking bathroom"

Serena turned to glare at the brunette.

"That's all we share. If we were really best friends you would give a shit about me outside the bathroom, hygiene be damned." She ran a hand through her shiny locks and continued "Remember, when we were kids and we used to plan our weddings and babies but when you were really pregnant, B, I wasn't the one you confided in. You didn't tell me when you did the paternity test. I wasn't the one you came to when you were having doubts about being with Louis. You didn't confide in me about your ridiculous pact with God and you didn't even tell when you ran away from the wedding..."

She sighed loudly "I was always there for you, B. You just didn't reach out…because you didn't want to..."

Blair shook her head, fighting tears. "It's not like that..."

"It's exactly like that. We drifted apart..." she said looking down

Blair reached out and clutched her hand, surprised to see her friend dry-eyed. She seemed distant, calm and just out of reach.

"But if it wasn't for me dating Dan..." she trailed off unable to shove off the guilt

Serena sighed "I 'm happy for you and Dan, Blair. I forgave you for it just when I said I did" She pulled her hands away and smiled "But that doesn't mean I can be friends with you. I don't think I can do this anymore..."

"Serena..."

"Blair, I would fight for our friendship if I thought there was something to fight for but now I'm not sure there is..."

She pulled the zipper on her bag and called Dorota. Blair sat on her friend's bed and watched her walk out, leaving her alone. Serena Van der Woodson had been one constant in her life. Their crazy mothers, boyfriends, the mean girls- everything had come and gone. Only Serena had remained. Through their fights and differences, she had held her hair back as she purged. She had walked her down to Dr. Sherman's office; she had held Blair as the latter cried over Nate or Chuck. She had always been there- Her Serena, her sister and now she wasn't...

Blair wiped her cheeks. She had lost them- all of them...

….

**A/N: The response for this story has been lukewarm and I was indecisive whether to continue or not but since half of this chapter was already written, I decided to post it. Having said that, those of you who reviewed, your speculations, thoughts and suggestions were all very welcome… I don't know why but I really miss Nair interacting. I mean- they were each other's first loves after all. It would nice to see their friendship. Most importantly this chapter touches on the core relationship of Gossip Girl as per me- The Blair-Serena friendship. I really think Serena should put her put down and walk out on Blair. The line about SB being best friends because they share a bathroom belongs to Safran. After all I don't write such BS: P**

**The lyrics are from Between by Courrier.**

**If you want me to continue, please leave a review to tell me.**


	3. Chapter 3

Lies provide the best mirror for one to hide in and if there was ever a professional at lying, it would be Blair Waldorf. She had learned to lie at a very early age to escape the continuous concerns of Dorota, the amused glances of her father and the disapproving eyes of her mother. Lying just made it easier for them to love her. It was easy to pretend to be all sugar and spice and everything nice for her Daddy than tell him about the underlying jealousy that was present at every encounter with her best friend. No, lying had its perks.

It only became dangerous when one lied to herself. And Blair had mastered that craft very early on too. But as she stood in what used to be her best friend's room, two days and twenty unreturned phone calls later, she just couldn't lie to herself.

The questions swirled around and she desperately tried to cling onto the hope that she was wrong. But she wasn't.

Did she really hurt Serena that much? Did she really push her away? Was she really that insensitive of the pain she was causing her best friend?

And the answer was yes, always a yes.

She wanted to defend herself, saying she had been through hell herself. She had lost so much this year that she had lost herself. She wanted to scream and demand her best friend to come back, not to desert her because she really needed her.

_I was always there for you, B. You just didn't reach out…because you didn't want to..._

Through it all she had pushed everyone away and grappled for one hand.

Had she really been that awful a friend? Had she really not noticed that her best friend was slipping away? But then she had been going through the worst phase of life herself and Serena... yes Serena had been there but Dan was just easier to confide in. He was the outsider with no ties to anyone she cared about and he had been easy to talk to. He had just let her be and Serena wouldn't have let that happen.

"Blair..."

She turned to see her boyfriend as he walked in. His face was unshaven, his hair unruly and he wore a flannel shirt. He leaned across and she kissed him in greeting.

"Oh hi Dan... I thought you are spending the day with your mom"

He shrugged "I called you a few times. We haven't been spending much time together"

"That's because your mom came into town and you are spending time with her." Blair said calmly

"And you were with Serena" he stated slowly, in a slightly bewildered tone as though the concept seemed foreign to him.

She stiffened at the mention of her name. Suddenly the kiss planted on her lips started to repulse her. What was she doing?

_I haven't had a good Valentine's since high school when I was with..._

"So are you planning on spending today with her as well?" Dan asked, seeming slightly ruffled, at the thought.

"Serena –uh- Serena is gone." Blair replied in a hollow tone, the words her best friend had said yesterday, were still echoing in her ears. "Lily is having a fight with Rufus and she is living there for a while."

She squinted up at Dan to look at how he took the news. For the first time since she had started to date Dan, she wondered how he felt being in such proximity of Serena while he romanced with her best friend. How did it feel to kiss Blair while he knew that Serena was in the next room? She had never thought about it. She had never thought how S must have felt. And as she saw Dan shrug yet again, she realized he didn't really care either way.

"Yeah, I know. Dad is kind of down about it as well. But uh-anyway the reason I 'm here is because today is my mom's birthday. It's a small celebration, basically family. I want you to come..." he said with a sweet smile

Blair felt oddly cornered. "Come and meet your mom?" she asked nonchalantly

"Yeah. I would like that." He said clutching her hand.

"I –uh- don't know..." she said suddenly shaking her head. This was supposed to be simple, and yet…

His face fell and he left her hand. "Why don't you want to come meet my family?"

"It's not like that, Dan." She didn't want to hurt him, not after everything he had done for her. He was basically the only one she had and she couldn't- wouldn't hurt him. "Of course I will come"

He smiled slowly and kissed her.

After two hours, they stood nervously at the loft door. Blair stared at the draining color on the walls and scoffed. "Is getting off by looking at dirty unpainted walls a frustrated artist thing?"

He laughed, shaking his head. Blair inwardly rolled her eyes as the door opened. Allison broke into a bright smile as she saw Dan.

"Oh Dan..." she said catching her son in a tight hug the moment they stepped in. "It's been so long..."

Her son returned the hug with equal fervor and then stepped back to stare at his mother. "Well, the last year has done you good."

She affectionately ruffled his hair "It has done you good, too, Mr. Successfully-published-writer." She turned to face Blair, who pasted her best society smile. "And who is this beautiful girl?"

Dan straightened up proudly "Mom, this is Blair, my girlfriend."

Allison started slightly at her name but smiled nevertheless. Before Blair could properly greet her, the loft door opened with a bang and a loud excited scream "Surprise" causing them all to turn.

Blair froze as the new entrant came into her view. Dressed in a dark maroon jacket with her shiny blonde hair framing the hated face, she stood with a definite swagger. This wasn't happening to her. This couldn't be happening to her.

Oblivious to the sudden tension Allison moved forward and hugged her. "Oh my God Jenny..."

Oh my God, indeed.

…

Chuck stood staring out of the window, his eyebrows furrowed as he sorted mentally the puzzle pieces that seemed to be waving at his face. He had just returned from Milan and was suffering from jet lag but when Nate had requested an immediate discussion, he knew he had no choice.

"So are you sure Diana Payne has never had any business dealings with Bass Inc?" Nate asked yet again.

Chuck turned and placed his glass on the table before taking a seat. "You know that is impossible for me to answer. Bass Inc is spread across the globe. She may have been involved with it in one way or the other. However, since I have taken control of Bass Inc. I have tried to keep track of every investment worth knowing."

Nate nodded as Chuck shuffled the papers Andrew Tyler had just delivered to them. Chuck sighed.

"These are hefty numbers and hence it was an investment for Bass Inc. Jack would have needed my de facto signature to authorize such deals." Chuck said. He maintained strict controls over Bass Australia knowing Jack's lack of discretion in choosing deals and his need to stir up trouble.

He tossed he file back and looked up. "Whatever these payments are for, they aren't related to Bass Inc business."

Nate chewed his bottom lip and sighed. "So what could they possibly have in common? Why would someone as measly as Jack continue to pay Diana such obscene amounts of money?"

"That's the million dollar question, Nathaniel"

"She could his wife..." Nate said slowly

"That's one hell of an expensive marriage..."

Nate shrugged and then said excitedly "Or there could be a love child. She could have mothered his child..."

"Nathaniel, you would do better not to think of any possible sexual relations between my uncle and your cougar." He said with a smirk "I mean that for your sake of your well being, of course"

"My sake? Any feelings I ever had for Diana has..."

"I meant your physical well being, Nathanial. Jack has Hep C."

"Oh right, yeah." Nate said, visibly tensing at the thought. "So what do you suppose this is all about?"

Chuck glanced down at the hefty figures and knew that it had be something humungous. He shook his head "It could be many things. We wouldn't know, for sure, until Tyler gives us more information"

"Or we could just ask Gossip Girl."

They both turned to see Serena standing at the threshold. She looked drained and defeated.

…

Blair Waldorf was frozen. She seemed unable to move as she stared at the monstrosity in front of her. A monstrosity with blonde hair and blue eyes and a smirk which told her all too much about the crazy Gothic Barbie- She sensed, rather than saw, Dan move closer to her as he tried to comfort her non-verbally. His hand reached for hers, but she slapped them away. He stared at her wide-eyed and she glared at him.

His eyes widened more as he looked at the look she was sparing towards him. Her nostrils were flaring and her jaw was clenched. He swallowed and opened his mouth. Blair knew that no matter what he said, it would only serve to annoy her.

"What the hell is _she_ doing here?"

Jenny had stepped away from her mother to move towards her father but she froze as she stared at the petite brunette standing in her loft. What on earth was Blair Waldorf doing at her loft? She was almost glad when her father had told her that he was back to living at the loft because it meant less socializing with the UES- That world was toxic for Jenny and she really wished that her father had never enrolled her at Constance. She really had lost herself there. She was in a good place now. London was doing her good, keeping her grounded and so she was reluctant to return to New York but her mother had insisted and Jenny had agreed. After all she had no plans to leave Brooklyn and what could happen to her in Brooklyn.

Apparently a lot could. She gaped at the frozen Queen B standing at the threshold of her old bedroom. She watched with utmost fascination as her brother took a deep breath before reaching out and intertwining his fingers with Blair's.

"Uh- yeah. Blair is my girlfriend" Dan said awkwardly. Jenny stared at him as though he had grown horns and was dancing around the loft in a loincloth. Her blue eyes widened until it seemed it will pop out.

Her mouth fell open and she shook her head slowly. This was a bad dream or a horrid prank or the worst joke ever, right?

"Yeah. Right. Very funny..." Jenny muttered. "Like that's even possible"

"Humphrey is right, Little J. We 're dating." Blair said in an icy cold voice.

"Huh?""

Dan turned away from his silently seething girlfriend and moved towards her. He gathered his baby sister in his arms and felt an odd pang.

"I missed you, Jen" he said patting her awkwardly. She stepped back and flashed him a bright smile.

"Well, I have certainly missed you too." Jenny said automatically.

Dan stepped back and forth and then awkwardly placed an arm around his frozen girlfriend.

Jenny made an odd noise as though she was choking with suppressed laughter. The couple looked up and she made a face. Her face was almost comical.

Dan chuckled "Close your mouth, Jen. You will catch flies otherwise."

"Excuse me; I think I just vomited in my mouth"

Blair glared at her. Dan shuffled back and forth and said firmly "Jen, please don't make this difficult. I just want you to get along."

Two pair of incredulous eyes looked back at him. He quickly backtracked "Or at least don't kill each other." He said moving towards the kitchen as he mother called him.

Jenny moved forward and tilted her head. Blair had a strong urge to slam her head in the wall.

"Blair Waldorf in Brooklyn...How the mighty have fallen" Jenny said giving Blair a glance over.

Blair felt her blood boil. The inconsequential Little J- the Humphrey was always more trouble than she was worth. She was itching to squash her.

"Now don't run along with ideas, Little J. Remember, how you lived in exile for a year. Don't make me sentence you to another one."

Jenny chuckled "Like you can, Blair. You haven't been Queen B for a long time. Now you don't even seem to be a Waldorf anymore."

Luckily for the Humphrey clan, Rufus called them both to sit down for lunch before Blair could kill Jenny.

To say that lunch was uncomfortable would be an understatement. Allison sat at the head of the table; Rufus was on her left and Dan on her right. Blair sat next to Dan while Jenny was seated in the opposite chair. The first few minutes passed with Jenny sharing her London escapades with her family. Blair sat turning the chilly in her fork, her eyes fixated on Jenny as she talked on and on.

"My friend Mandy is renting an apartment in Goodge Street and me 'm hoping I could..."

_I thought you didn't love me anymore; it didn't matter whether I lived or died..._

The image swam in front of her eyes and she blinked twice trying to rid herself of it but it came back again.

_You didn't..._

_It was desperate plea; it was a pathetic cry of despair. One line of hope to hold on to...until it broke..._

"_You did"_

"I just think that color semantics is something I would be interested in..."

_It happened almost every night. The image of Chuck touching her blonde hair, the first intimate kisses, the grasping of her arm desperately as he entered her... Her gasp of surprise..._

With a gasp Blair stood up suddenly, her chair toppling down. Everyone looked up at her. She picked up her bag and said slowly.

"I 'm sorry... I've to go. I just realized that I have something important to do..."

She managed to step out of the suffocating loft before anyone could say anything. She scrambled down the stairs even as she heard Dan calling her name. It was only when she reached the pavement that she stopped.

"Blair..." her boyfriend said, gasping for breath

Blair rounded on him, her eyes blazing.

"Did you know she was going to be here? Did you plan this? Was this your oh- so-brilliant plan to force me to socialize with your social pariah of a sister?"

"What- uh- no... I didn't know she was coming. Mom planned it to surprise us. I didn't know she would be here but now that she is, I didn't expect you to come running away. That's why you left, right?"

Blair clenched her fist. "I can't sit there and watching as Gothic Barbie recounts her first adventures outside Brooklyn. It is unheard of..."

"Jenny is my sister, Blair" Dan interrupted her "She is part of my family."

Blair glared at him. "I can't sit there and act friendly with her."

"Why? Because of what happened with Chuck?" he spat out.

"Don't... just don't..." she said softly, her hands clutching her handbag tightly

"Why not? Why can't you move past this..." he asked incredulously "It wasn't her fault anyway? It was all Chuck's fault. He took advantage of her."

"What?" Blair gaped at him.

"Please- he is Chuck Bass. It's what he does. He tried to at Kiss at the Lips and finally managed to coerce her at the Empire."

"Is that what Jenny told you? That-that he coerced her?"

"It doesn't matter. She was underage and upset."

"So was he. He was in a desperate state of mind and he…" Blair stammered, her memories rising up and then continued determinedly,

"He did not coerce her" Blair said, her eyes shining brilliantly "There were two consenting people that night."

Dan's eyes narrowed "I don't believe this. You are defending him even now… I thought, you would understand Jenny the most...after all you have been victimized by him as well."

Blair felt the urge to slap him. "Chuck didn't victimize me."

"He sold you for a hotel. That's the worst thing…"

"Shut up." She snapped, her face flushed with anger.

Dan stared at her in disbelief.

"You should really try and see Jenny's side. I thought you would understand her plight."

"Her plight? Her plight?" Blair asked incredulously "Jenny made a mistake that night. She whored herself to first willing male she found. Disturbed, she may have been but she is no damsel in distress. Neither am I. No one is coerced into anything. There is always a choice involved."

"But what influences that choice?"

"We do." Blair said quietly, her shoulders drooping. "No matter what the external restraints are or what our emotions dictate, at the end of the day it is us who makes the choice." She sighed heavily "I can't do this right now. I have to go."

…

**Are you all excited about the finale? I am having butterflies just thinking about it. It does seem like Chair just might reunite. Yayeee... About this chapter- I don't really know how it is. It seems okay to me-Could have been better but haven't been feeling so good. And I am working of the update of Reluctant Lady Bass as I 'm posting it. So no complaints of that front**

**Let me know what you think :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Blair didn't know how she had ended up there.

After the argument, she had stormed off. Her mind was dizzy with anger and memories she had suppressed for so long. She walked around, ignoring the people walking next to her, clueless on her destination, in long determined strides until she came to a dead end. She froze suddenly as she looked up reading the rusted sign on the nondescript building.

Horror stories she had heard flitted through her mind. When she was seven, they had employed a cook from Brooklyn. She remembered the way her mother used to scrunch up her nose as the maid talked about mugging or violence that happened in Brooklyn. She remembered how _she _used to imitate that look on her mother's face unintentionally. It was just involuntarily, a reflex reaction to Brooklyn. In her mind she could see the sheer disgust in her seven-year old Blair's face.

And now she was walking around in Brooklyn. Blair Waldorf was walking around in Brooklyn, after storming out on her Brooklynite boyfriend and his trashy sister. Suddenly she had an odd urge to laugh out loudly. The urge was so strong that she had to bite down on her lips to control it. What was wrong with her?

Something rustled across her and she scrambled back. It was a black cat walking slowly out of the building. Her green eyes judged her stance cautiously before it passed her. Blair straightened slowly, cringing as she glanced down at the dirt in her hand. Without thinking she wiped it on her skirt and then she gasped.

Her Alexander McQueen black skirt now had a dirt stain in it. It was not visible and yet. Blair Waldorf didn't ruin designer wear. She didn't wipe dirt on her skirt. She didn't wander around in Brooklyn alleys. She didn't…

She sprinted forward to the front of alley, trying to hail a cab. She hoped to God that no one posted this on Gossip Girl. _Blair Waldorf in Brooklyn-_ She was a mess. Yet she could always tell her minions that she was lost and that's how she ended up in Brooklyn.

A yellow cab skidded to a stop next to her.

But why would they wonder that she was in Brooklyn? After all her boyfriend was from Brooklyn. She was here so many times that even Gossip Girl didn't think it was worth mentioning. Blair Waldorf was now an honorary Brooklynite. The thought made her want to hurl.

"Where to, Miss?"

She blinked at the cabbie.

_Lost..._

"The Empire Hotel" she whispered without realizing.

…..

Dan slammed his way back to the loft. He was in shock and in disbelief. He couldn't believe Blair was still defending Chuck. After all that Chuck had put her through, after he had traded for a hotel and cheated on her, she was still defending him. Dan had always known that Blair loved Chuck a lot. Honestly speaking it was the one thing that first attracted him to her. Back in the days of W, her adamant and unwavering love for Chuck was one thing that made Blair so very beautiful in his eyes. He had seen the UES duplicity; he had seen the infidelity and backstabbing that went on there. He had seen Serena flit from one man to another. And he had known that love was like designer wear to UES-iders. To be cherished while it was in and to be discarded while it went out of fashion

And yet Blair had surprised him with her undying devotion to the man who had destroyed her. The more he saw Blair, the more he realized how much she loved Chuck. It was overwhelming to see the sheer intensity of such a love in UES. But he knew that Chuck didn't deserve it – he didn't deserve Blair at all. He felt no qualms at keeping them away by releasing that video because he really did believe he was acting in her best interests. She didn't want to marry Louis and she shouldn't be with Chuck. He had tried to protect her and he managed.

And yet…

He threw himself on his bed as she remembered her determined defense of Chuck. She hated Jenny for what transpired between her and Chuck but the man who had taken advantage of his drunken sister was not to be blamed. He hated her hypocrisy.

"She will destroy you, you know"

He sat up to glare at Jenny.

"Get out, Jen"

His sister ignored him and sat down on the edge of his bed.

"You wouldn't even know when and how she will change you. But she will…" He glanced at her. She was staring at him intently. Devoid of her customary black shadow look, she looked very much like his little Jen. "She is just using you."

Dan shook his head.

"You don't know anything about Blair."

She smiled.

"No, Dan. You don't know anything about Blair. I read your book and seriously I couldn't believe how unlike her Claire Carlyle. No offence but it was the worst character study ever." She added seriously

He rolled his eyes.

"I know you hate her, Jen. She was awful to you in high school. But this Blair- my Blair- is way different from the one you knew. She has changed. She is a different person."

Jenny just stared at him with too wise eyes. "She has mellowed, I would allow that. But you re fooling yourself if you think Blair have changed. She is vulnerable right now. But the moment she gets herself sorted, you become dispensable. She is just using you, just like she uses everyone."

He stood up angrily.

"She is not using me, okay Jen? She cares about me. She chose me over Chuck. She came to me herself."

Jenny scoffed.

"Seriously Dan, you need a reality check. Blair Waldorf would never choose you or anyone over Chuck. Anyone telling themselves that is a fool and that includes Blair. You need to get out of this relationship before it's too late."

Dan gritted his teeth

"You know nothing about her or our relationship. We have a strong, healthy relationship. We share common interests, we make each other grow, we are each other's equal. This isn't like it was with Serena."

"What does Serena have to do with this?"

"Nothing" he growled out

Jenny eyed him warily before continuing incredulously.

"You make each other grow? The only thing growing is your hair, Dan. And Blair doesn't think of you as an equal. She never will."

"Get out Jen." He snapped

"Look, I 'm just trying to protect you. I don't want you to get hurt. Blair is using you." She said simply

She saw the furious glare on his face before he slammed the door on her face. Jenny sighed. There was no way Dan would believe her. But she knew that Blair would break her brother, that she was using him as a distraction. Now all she needed was proof and she would get it.

….

The elevator clinked softly but no one seemed to hear. Blair walked cautiously in the penthouse eyeing the source of the loud jarring tones. She stepped back into the shadows as she saw the source of the noise.

Nate and Serena were caught up in a furious battle of Guitar Hero. Serena was winning, her hands moving up and down as she bounced around to the tone. She finished with a flourish, and started laughing at the crestfallen expression on Nate's face. The sound of her laughter echoed through the suite and Blair cherished it. It was Serena's sunshine laugh: names such by Nate in sixth grade. Blair had scowled as Nate explained why he called it her sunshine laugh. He had said it was contagious and it brightened everyone's day. Initially Blair had been jealous of her friend but as days passed, she had to hand it down to Nate. He was right. Serena's smile and her childlike laugher did brighten many of her gloomy days.

But it had been so long since Blair heard it. The penthouse they shared had not echoed with that laughter for a very long time. And Blair had never noticed. She was so into her own dark horizons that she never realized when Serena stopped shining. She peeked back to see her best friend smile and point mockingly at Nate who scowled hard.

"Kids, playtime's over." Chuck drawled from the couch.

He was sitting at the end of the couch, a slightly disgruntled look on his face but his eyes were twinkling. Blair felt her heart give an unruly thump. It wasn't just that he was back- or that he looked good- which he did, not that she noticed- but this was such a familiar scene from the past. Nate and Serena fooling around as she and Chuck exchanged contemptuous glances at the expense of their best friends. She could just imagine herself curled on the other end of the couch, joining in Chuck's cause to get their best friends to settle down.

But she wasn't there and they didn't seem to miss her. They didn't seem to realize that the scene lacked one major character. She had an odd urge to cry.

"Don't be such a grouch, Chuck" Serena whinnied. "Just because you suck at Guitar Hero..."

"Yes, that will go down as the biggest regret of my life, sis. But weren't we discussing how to get to the bottom of this Diana mystery?"

Nate nodded. Serena sat down.

"So here is what we know: Jack is making fat payments to Diana who has a big secret to protect."

"What? I thought Jack was better now. He did save you when you were in the coma." Serena said nonchalantly

"Actually, he didn't. He couldn't. He has Hep C and he also lied about who gave me the blood. He said it was Elizabeth Fisher but it was lie. She isn't even my mother."

"Thank God for small favors." Blair said loudly strolling in. She couldn't take it any longer. She ached to be part of this conversation. She missed talking with them all.

She strolled confidently inside, a big smile on her face. The effect was immediate. The three members of NJBC froze. Chuck's face became even more inscrutable, Nate eyes widened even more and Serena's face reddened. If it wasn't so sad, it would be funny.

Her confidence deflated but she kept the smile on her face.

"You all look like you have seen a ghost." She said cheerily

Nate moved first.

"Blair, uh-no, it just that we didn't hear the elevator." Nate said with a small smile.

Blair sent a grateful look towards him. "You were playing guitar hero so it isn't so surprising, is it?"

Serena whirled around "So you have been standing there, snooping since then?"

Blair's smile faltered as Serena threw her a distant cold look. It made her step back.

"Uh-no. I...I just..." She wanted to make a bitchy comment but her brain didn't seem to be working. "I came to see Chuck" she said turning her eyes to the man who hadn't moved since she walked in.

"Oh! Does he want to see you?" Serena asked earnestly

Blair honestly didn't know the answer to that. She smiled tightly.

"That's for Chuck to decide, isn't it? Last time I checked he was still an adult and not under your care."

Serena opened her mouth to argue but simply closed it and shrugged.

"I am going to get some fresh air. Nate, you up for it?" she said effectively dismissing her friend.

Blair watched her leave, with a saddened heart. Then she turned nervously to face Chuck. He had moved away from the couch and was watching her intently.

"Hello Blair." He said softly

"Hi..." she said uncertainly

Chuck waited but when it seemed Blair wasn't going to say anything, he began slowly "So why did you want to see me?"

Blair sighed

"I just think we left things awfully. You know... I..." she began awkwardly. Then she cleared her throat. "I may not like that you paid my dowry but..."

Chuck scoffed and shook his head "Trust me; we don't need to have this conversation again. I remember it very well."

_You are trying to buy me, just like you sold me for your hotel._

The big fat elephant was back in the room. She remembered the pain in his eyes when she had spat the words. She glanced around the room, trying to avoid seeing him. It was always like with Chuck- there was so much pain and suppressed emotions when she interacted with him. Her eyes trailed over the customary Scotch glass on the table, Nate's ESPN magazines and his I-Pad opened to the business webpage. It was so eerily familiar. Not too long ago, her fashion magazines used to be wedged in between somewhere; the DVD cabinet held an entire row dedicated to Audrey. Did he throw them away? The Empire was home until he traded her for it.

_I just wanted you to be free..._

"I was saying that I may not like the idea of you paying my dowry but it doesn't mean I am not thankful for it." She finished firmly "I just wanted to say that."

Chuck nodded.

"An admirable but unnecessary gesture. I already got your text."

He seemed cold, distant like she was a stranger.

"I must have seemed ungrateful before. I 'm sorry" she said slowly

Chuck smiled.

"You re forgiven."

She knew he was dismissing her, but she couldn't leave without talking about what had ailed her for so long.

"You came to me to talk about your mother and me..."

"And you accused me of trying to get into your pants?" he said with a smirk.

Blair flushed hard.

"Chuck, I didn't..."

Chuck laughed "Its okay Waldorf. You and I were both good at hitting where it hurts the most. It's what made us so formidable."

Blair hated that he was continuously using the past tense. It felt like something was over, and was gone for good.

"I just want to say that I 'm here for you, Chuck." She whispered. "I-I promised you that I will always be your family."

Blair felt her eyes drawn to the couch where she had holding his hand.

"_I don't have a mother, Blair. I never will." He said with dreadful finality_

_She wanted to fix him. If she could will things to happen, she would bring his mother back from the dead, no matter what the price, if only that would fix Chuck. But she couldn't... so she gave him what she could give: herself._

"_That doesn't mean you're alone, Chuck. I love you and I will always be your family"_

Blair looked up to see Chuck staring at the same spot, and she knew his mind was where hers was. He looked up with a tender look in his hazel eyes. She was the only one who he looked at that way and she loved the exclusivity.

"I meant it, Chuck." She whispered "I still mean it."

He smiled "Thank you, Blair."

She felt emboldened at his words "So if you need any help, taking Jack down or finding out who gave you blood, I 'm here to help. Or if you wanted to talk…"

Chuck shook his head. "I really appreciate you saying all this. But I think you were right." He paused for a while before continuing at a speed. "We shouldn't interact too much. I mean you are moving on with your life and I need to move on with mine. So, it's best that we don't get involved in each other's life for now."

Blair scowled "Is that your moronic psychiatrist speaking?"

Chuck chuckled "Blair…"

"Chuck…"

"You would always be my family, but its time I stop being dependant on you for everything. I meant what I said: From now on I will take care of myself. You don't always have to be there for me. You can live your life. Be happy with Hum-Humphrey." He said, stuttering slightly.

Blair felt her heart breaking. She didn't know what to feel. On one hand, she was proud of his maturity and on the other, she felt an odd sense of loss. She smiled at him, feeling vaguely confused. She turned around and left without a word.

…..

Jenny was astounded at the audacity of it all.

A few hours ago, Blair was having lunch with them, and now she was walking out of the Empire with her head held high. There was no shame in the two-timing slut's face. She quickly snapped a picture with her phone. Dan would have to see this now. He would have to realize what a shameless slut Blair Waldorf was, how she was using him and then he would dump her.

Blair Waldorf dumped by the Lonely Boy

The thought gave her a vindictive pleasure.

….


End file.
